Saturday, May 29, 2010

Love, Other Drugs, Health Insurance

Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal will star as onscreen couple in "Love and Other Drugs", an adaptation of pharmaceutical sales rep Jamie Reidy's insider-y book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman. Reidy worked at Pfizer during the '90s.Gyllenhaal will play the Pfizer-pusher who meets Anna Hathaway's character during one of his sales calls. She suffers from Parkinson's disease, and the story plot is focused on Reidy's progression emphatizing with her medical problems and trying to do the right thing, despite of the pressures by the industry which he belongs, that want to pay him to forget the woman he's falling in love with.

Greta Gerwig in the hospital scene in "Greenberg" (2010)

"I've got to get insurance. The anaesthesia was so expensive, I'm such a baby about pain. I stayed over night! I'm glad your brother is coming back next week, I need to work more hours". -Florence after having come back from the hospital.

"I know you know I was in a hospital. I'm not hiding it. But it's not what defines me, you know". -Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller in "Greenberg")

According with some early screenings, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway lead a great cast in 'Love and Other Drugs', the story of an ambitious a promiscuous pharmaceutical salesman (Gyllenhaal) getting his start in the Ohio market with his sights set on the big business in Chicago. His life is turned sideways when he meets the beautiful Maggie (Anne Hathaway), an artist with stage-one Parkinson's and a growing skepticism for love. Jamie Reidy's hilarious sales partner is played by Oliver Platt, and a former Marine (Gabriel Macht) as the #1 competition. The writing is filled with witty banters echoing Howard Hawks's 'His Girl Friday' and more recent titles as 'Up in the Air' and '500s days of Summer' The story is also on a candent topic, especially in the days of the fight for healthcare reform. Director Edward Zwick (Glory, Blood Diamond) puts forth one of the best films of his career alongside a list of solid past work, creating some solid comedy and funny moments. The film is full of some raunchy and funny scenes involving Jake and Anne. Hank Azaria was hilarious as a womanizing doctor. Ed Zwick, director of "Blood Diamond" (2006), "Defiance" (2008), etc., manages to pull off a zany atmosphere specially thanks to Anne Hathaway playing off Jake's character. It has the perfect mix of gross out comedy, serious dramatics, and emotionally connecting love story. The film does a great job with teaching the audience both about Parkinson's and (legitimate) Pharmaceuticals sales. Anne's character is a rebel girl and she looks sexy in company of Jake (his Jamie is a smooth talking and a bit of a player).After Prince of Persia's release we'll be able to watch him expanding his range in this role.

Jamie Reidy graduated from Notre Dame, with a degree in English. He was hired by Pfizer becoming one of the most successful representatives as well as "Vitamin V"/"The Viagra Guy". Reidy left Pfizer after five years when he didn't get the promotion he wanted, and his book ends there. What helped to sell pharmaceutical products, according to Reidy's book "Hard Sell" was sex. A couple of memorable lines in the book are "I witnessed men undergo complete personality makeovers in the presence of female salespeople", and "The women had the most basic human response on their side; regardless how behind schedule or how crazy the day, a male doctor would snap to attention at a mere whiff of perfume or a glance at a pretty girl, his instinctive desire to reproduce having kicked into gear."Anne Hathaway in INSTYLE US photoshoot (2010)

The movie never let the characters get too serious and they made constant jokes about the drama part. The Hollywood Reporter says Anne & Jake's romance on-screen will be relevant to the "political and social context of the time" the story is presented.Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast in "Easy A" (2010)

“Gilda Radner was my original hero”, says Stone. “I fell in love with sketch comedy and improv when I was 11. I love everything that has to do with SNL: The history of it, the fact that it’s in New York City, and that it’s iconic and symbolizes where my dream began.”In January 1986 Radner suffered from what she thought was chronic fatigue syndrome which proved to be ovarian cancer.

There is currently no cure for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Instead, the symptoms are treated. Many people with CFS experience depression and other psychological problems that may improve with treatment. Some of the proposed treatments include: Antiviral drugs, medications to reduce pain, discomfort, anxiety and fever.

As much as the government wants to control health care it's still an industry difficult to sail, so it's good analyzing the different categories of insurance, checking your financial constraints and adapting to group health insurance rates.

Sometimes monthly premiums shot up to high fees so it's necessary then to do some research online and find health benefits that allow us to get the same professional services without excessives prices of insurance, and some employers also reimburse for alternative health benefits.

In case of trying to appeal the rate increase with an insurer it's another solution to consider changing your employer's plan and try seeking a better group health quote, or a new deal on the markets searching for an individual group health.